Living with Diabetes

Author: kathleen

  • Not having a good day…

    I was awaken by our police department at 4:30 am — I usually call them our Finest, but friends call them the Gestapo, and this morning was why — they had someone pulled over, probably for a minor traffic violation.

    They are pretty good about making people pull over to the FRONT of the house, where it doesn’t bother us, but for some dumb reason, they stopped on the street that runs along side. A dangerous spot, besides being under my bedroom window.

    And for some weird reason, I keep waking up around that time frame anyway … but was hoping …

    I’ve been nausiated every since, and have almost thrown up several times. Those of you who are diabetics realize that being on insulin and tossing your cookies don’t mix, as you are never quite sure how many carbs remained in the stomach.

    Plus the building is TOO hot, so between all that, I keep either falling asleep or running to the restroom.

    ARGH! I wish I knew why I get this problem with nausa.

  • Major League Pitcher a pumper

    Tigers’ Johnson, a diabetic, pumped up to pitch today’s opener

  • Article about two children on the pump.

    Times Record News: Local News

    These kiddos are in Wichita Falls, Texas

  • Expert Patient

    See Expert Patients

    Several of the doctor medlogs have blogged on this issue.

    I consider myself an “expert patient” and I agree that it’s a misleading term, as it implies to me, that it might be derogatory.

    There are two types of diabetic patients (and I am not referring to Type 1 or Type 2). They either fall under the expert patient category taking an active roll in their care. If you pump, you almost always have to be an expert patient.

    The other type eat when and what their doctors tell them to. Can you imagine living a life where you eat at, say 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and they eat a precise amount of servings of carbs, protein and fat.

    I actually know of a pumper that lives that way. My mother told me about her. Apparently years ago, her pump was programmed by her doctor and she has lived that way ever since.

    I suppose that might work for someone who has been diabetic all of their life, but it certainly doesn’t and wouldn’t work for me! It really puts a crimp in your style if you want to socialize — which is when my mother found out about this.

    I really advocate being on top and in control whenever you have a chronic illness. That CPAP go around is a prime example though, of what happens when the patient is ready to be an expert and the doctors aren’t

    And of course to be effective as an expert patient, you have to research it all. Not just the advances, but the costs and the implications.

    FYI: One of the good things about buying the pump last year, is that it, along with my husband’s medical bills, managed to reduce our income tax overage from $1500 to $750, and eliminated the possiblilty of a fine for the IRS for underpaying.

  • Gastric bypass risky

    MSNBC – Gastric bypass riskier than many patients know

    Many of the reasons I’m not ready to go there.

  • iShape

    Yep, I’m still doing iShape, and since the new CPAP equipment have been able to get up and work out in the morning.

    The neat thing — is that I got an email this morning, extending my iShape membership for 8 more weeks for $15.00

    It really helps, having some guidance.

  • Duke starts course on obesity

    MSNBC – Medical school starts obesity course

    Good idea.

  • Studies on Glucowatch and Minimed CGS — they don’t work well for their primary purpose

    This is pretty sad, actually.

    Yahoo! News – ‘Wristwatch’ Monitors May Miss Low Blood Sugar

  • New Tweak worked today…

    But I am still wondering if we should up my basal at lunch time instead….

    We moved my insulin to carb ratio at lunch from 1:8 to 1:5. TODAY, it worked. Though I was still sleepy but that might be more due to the heat in the building. I’m on the second floor with 30 computers, and usually that many students, so this time of year it’s hot.

    But after lunch has always been my toughest time. My blood sugar is typically very high after low, but then goes low right before dinner. It’s even more pronounced when I work out after school.

  • More CPAP musings….

    I used the new CPAP last night for the first time. Man is it quiet!

    It has also saved me quite a bit of driving time and hassle. I was supposed to pick up an oxymeter today from Baylor, which means driving downtown, finding a parking space, taking the elevator up, waiting for people to get their acts together, etc.

    Then I have to sleep with the blasted thing, meaning I’ll wait up 3 or 4 times (been there, done that, literally), so I will be tired tomorrow.

    Then I have to haul it back to Baylor.

    SO, instead, I’ll take the new machine up there next Friday when I’m off and deal with it and the doctor then. Not sure I want to deal with the doctor, since I think I was thinking logically and I don’t think she was

    The nicest thing though, is being able to pack up everything in one carry one sized bag. Especially since I am supposed to go to St. Louis in June.